Company

Originally a collection of one-act plays written by librettist George Furth, Company was eventually shaped into a musical, thanks to the vision of legendary director Harold Prince. At Prince’s suggestion, Furth reworked these one-acts into a libretto examining the pros and cons of marriage, and Stephen Sondheim was brought in to provide the music. To tie all the pieces together, Furth added the character of Robert, a bachelor whose 35th birthday party provides the occasion to bring all of Furth’s characters together at the opening of the play. It seems everyone but Robert is married or getting married, and they are all eager for their bachelor friend to follow in their footsteps, but Robert isn’t quite ready to take the plunge. He’s sure that “Someone Is Waiting”, the perfect girl just for him, and until she makes herself known, he is content to amuse himself with the countless women who come to New York every day.   Meanwhile, Robert has the opportunity to observe the lives of all of his married friends, and what he sees does not exactly fill him with encouragement. They fight, plan affairs, talk of divorce, and take refuge in cigarettes and alcohol. It’s enough to make Robert question whether he ever wants to join the ranks of the married. In the end, however, in spite of all his friends’ failings, he comes to the conclusion that there is no point in “Being Alive” unless one has someone to share it with.